Instagram make-up artist PaintDatFace has come under fire for making up a white woman, transforming her into a "woman of another culture".
The original post, which has now been deleted, came with a disclaimer warning the image was "not about race change".
However another post, using both the image of the model and the original disclaimer, has been uploaded.
The new caption says: "I can't offer an apology for my artwork, and for what I find to be beautiful."
The make-up artist, whose given name is not revealed on his Instagram account, offered an explanation for his decision to use a white model.
"The transformation that I recently posted of a woman transformed into a woman of another culture has been highly criticised by those who don't understand the message," he wrote.
"I deleted the post, not because I had regret or saw wrongdoing, but because of the negativity social media turned it into.
"It's been assumed by most that my intentions were to transform my model into a black woman.
"Truth is, my intentions were to keep the look vague enough to be relatable to many women of different cultures, but the true inspiration of the overall look came from my Cuban heritage."
Some social media users criticised the make-up artist, calling his use of a white woman "blackface".
He argued against the accusations of racism by saying: "The transformation came from a place of love and was not about mocking one's race, but rather about celebrating it."
This comes after Durham Pride cancelled a Beyonce tribute act after criticism because the performer was a white woman.
Leanne Harper defended her act in a Facebook post, saying: "I only [fake tan] like any other girl on a Saturday night.
"It is very upsetting to think that this is what people think I make a living out of, as I have dancers and family members of this origin, and I hope they would tell me if my act was black face."
